


The Course of True Love Never Did Run Smooth

by hazelNuts



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Actor Derek Hale, Actor Stiles, Alternate Universe - Actors, Angst, Bottom Stiles Stilinski, Braeden & Derek Hale Friendship, Fluff, M/M, Minor Allison Argent/Lydia Martin, Minor Vernon Boyd/Erica Reyes, Misunderstandings, POV Derek, Pining, Top Derek
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-20
Updated: 2017-06-20
Packaged: 2018-11-16 15:13:27
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,129
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11255532
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hazelNuts/pseuds/hazelNuts
Summary: Derek loves being an actor. He gets to meet and work with a lot of amazing people. So when he lands a job that has him working with Stiles Stilinski, his celebrity crush, he’s a little scared, but mostly excited. Especially when he and Stiles really hit it off, at first...Derek doesn’t take his eyes off Stiles’ face as Stiles steps into the bath. Stiles’ smile is soft and a little mischievous, his eyes a deep brown in the candlelight. Derek holds his hand out to help Stiles sit down, but before he can grab Stiles’ hand, Stiles slips and lands heavily on Derek’s chest.‘Ooph!’ Stiles huffs.‘You okay?’ Derek chuckles.‘Haha. Laugh it up, big guy,’ Stiles grins at him, gripping Derek’s shoulders for leverage as he sits up.Derek slides down a little, slinging one leg over the side of the tub, careful that he doesn’t knock over any of the candles, and folds his other leg into a seat for Stiles. It’s not the most comfortable position, but with Stiles hovering over him, hands braced on Derek’s chest, exactly where he should be, comfort doesn’t really matter.





	The Course of True Love Never Did Run Smooth

**Author's Note:**

> If you think I forgot any tags, please let me know in the comments.
> 
> Based on [this](http://ritarmandi.tumblr.com/post/162074519769/) gorgeous artwork by [ritarmandi](http://ritarmandi.tumblr.com/)!!  
> Many thanks to [do-what-the-knight-tells-you](http://do-what-the-knight-tells-you.tumblr.com/) for being my beta!

Derek doesn’t take his eyes off Stiles’ face as Stiles steps into the bath. Stiles’ smile is soft and a little mischievous, his eyes a deep brown in the candlelight. Derek holds his hand out to help Stiles sit down, but before he can grab Stiles’ hand, Stiles slips and lands heavily on Derek’s chest.

‘Ooph!’ Stiles huffs.

‘You okay?’ Derek chuckles.

‘Haha. Laugh it up, big guy,’ Stiles grins at him, gripping Derek’s shoulders for leverage as he sits up.

Derek slides down a little, slinging one leg over the side of the tub, careful that he doesn’t knock over any of the candles, and folds his other leg into a seat for Stiles. It’s not the most comfortable position, but with Stiles hovering over him, hands braced on Derek’s chest, exactly where he should be, comfort doesn’t really matter.

‘I didn’t think we’d get here,’ Stiles says. He leans his forehead against Derek’s.

‘But we are,’ Derek says. He brushes Stiles’ hair back, then slides his hands down until they’re on Stiles’ lower back and pulls him closer. He tilts his head up, his lips brushing Stiles’ when he repeats, ‘We are.’

Stiles hums. His lips tick up into a soft smile as he presses their lips together.

‘Cut!’ Finstock shouts. ‘That’s a wrap! Those of you who are done here, get your asses out of here and get ready for tonight!’

Cheers from the cast and crew fill the set. Stiles pulls away from Derek, and carefully steps out of the bath, over the candles, as he accepts the bathrobe offered by an assistant. He doesn’t look back at Derek when he lets out a whoop and starts making his way to his trailer for some dry clothes. Derek quickly gets out of the water, no longer fazed by the 180 Stiles did the second they were done, and into his own robe. He grins and waves at everyone on his way off the set, shaking hands with Finstock as he passes the director.

He takes the long way ‘round to his trailer. They’re shooting on location and the area is beautiful. It reminds him of where he grew up: trees everywhere, the damp smell of the autumn forest in the air. At night, when they’re not shooting, he always takes a moment to look up at the moon and the stars—living in LA, it’s easy to forget they’re up there. He takes a deep breath, letting the crisp air clear his head and help him step out of his character.

The last day of filming is always strange. This has been his world for the past couple months: a strange dual world of tight schedules and little sleep, but also one of love and magic. He’s going to miss Alex, his character, even if the guy needs to learn how to relax a little.

After taking a quick shower and putting on some more festive clothes, Derek waits for his personal assistant, Erica. She doesn’t trust him to wear something appropriate so she’d ordered him to wait until she could approve his outfit. Under pain of death.

‘You look like you’re about to go grocery shopping,’ she sighs when she steps into his trailer. She squeezes past him to root through his closet.

Derek looks down in confusion. These are his nicest jeans and shirt.

‘The fact that you don’t know what I mean saddens me,’ Erica says, handing him a dark red button-down.

‘You look great,’ he tells her while he quickly changes.

‘I know,’ she grins. She gives him a quick twirl; the skirt of her cocktail dress and her blonde curls swirl around her.

He’s barely buttoned up when she grabs his hand and pulls him to the party.

They’d decided on a big wrap-party for the majority of the cast and crew. Lydia, one of the assistant directors, and Allison, Lydia’s girlfriend and Derek’s on-screen nemesis, organized everything, and did an amazing job of it. Several party tents have been set up in a big field next to the set. The smell of food, and the sounds of music and laughter fill the air. Everybody seems to be having a great time.

Erica leads him to the food tent, and then promptly abandons him when she spots Boyd. Boyd gestures for Derek to come join them, but Derek shakes his head. He’d only be a third wheel. Placing himself at the edge of the dance floor with a drink, he watches the antics of his friends and colleagues, making sure to talk and say goodbye to everyone he sees. He saw most of these people every day, their presence becoming familiar and comforting. It’s strange to think that he’ll never see most of them again.

Today was the last of an exhausting three months for some, but for a lot people tomorrow is just another workday; so around 1am, the party is already winding down, and Derek decides to head back to his trailer. He’s always loved the woods by night, they have a special feel to them. His parents’ house is at the edge of a big forest, and with the background noises from the party, it reminds him of the parties they always throw for any or no occasion at all. His stomach twists with homesickness. Maybe he should visit his parents for a couple days. He’ll check with Erica tomorrow to see how much room he’s got in his schedule.

‘Hey.’

Derek jumps. He was so immersed in his own thoughts he hadn’t noticed Stiles leaning against the tree he just passed.

‘Hey,’ Derek says, unable to hide his surprise.

‘Last night,’ Stiles says. His face is only vaguely outlined in the dark, but Derek can feel the intensity of Stiles’ gaze.

‘Yeah,’ he says, lamely. He’s not sure what to do. Stiles has never purposely sought him out on set before, unless it was to practice a scene. He didn’t even seek Stiles out to say goodbye, didn’t think Stiles wanted him to.

Stiles pushes off the tree and plants himself in front of Derek. ‘Can I kiss you?’ he asks.

Derek blinks, completely lost. Stiles has definitely never done _that_ before. From the moment they got on set, Stiles has always kept his distance. Not enough for there to be rumours that they didn’t like each other and damage the movie, but enough for Derek to feel it. It was the opposite of how they’d been at casting, where they’d had an instant connection. At least, that’s what Derek thought. He still wonders how he could’ve been so wrong.

But Stiles is beautiful, and here, and he still draws Derek in. So Derek nods.

Any actor will tell you that kissing in front of the camera is different from kissing in real life. The mechanics are the same, but with a dozen people watching, multiple cameras aimed at you, and you not really being _you_ , the act loses all of its intimacy. Stiles kissing as Tom was nice, he’s a good kisser. Stiles kissing as _Stiles_ is what Derek imagines being swept up in a hurricane feels like.

‘How much have you had to drink?’ he asks, when he tastes the wine on Stiles’ lips. Alcohol  would explain the sudden change in Stiles’ behaviour.

‘One glass of wine, and lemon water,’ Stiles says. Then he smirks. ‘Need me to walk in a straight line? Say the alphabet backwards? The Greek alphabet? Omega, psi, chi, phi, upsi—‘

‘I believe you,’ Derek laughs breathlessly, and presses their lips together again. He doesn’t care what brought on the change. All he cares about is that Stiles wants to kiss him.

‘Let’s go to your trailer,’ Stiles gasps when they pull back for air.

Derek nods, unable to find his voice. He slides his hand in Stiles’ and starts running, pulling Stiles with him. Stiles’ laugh echoes through the night as he runs beside him. He sounds so free and happy, Derek’s heart does a little tumble. Warmth threatens to spread out from his heart, but he quickly pushes it down. _No_ , he tells himself. _Don_ _’t go there. If this is just going to be for one night, don_ _’t go there._

They reach his trailer breathless and giggling. Stiles presses him against the side of it. His hands pull Derek’s shirt out of his jeans, while his mouth bites kisses down Derek’s neck. His body is like a flame pressed against Derek’s front, a stark contrast to the cold trailer against his back. The sensations are overwhelming. It feels so good, it takes a minute for Derek to remember they should really get inside. At the suggestion, Stiles pulls him away from the trailer and turns him around to face the door. He keeps their bodies pressed together though, now with his chest against Derek’s back, his teeth tugging at the shell of Derek’s ear. Derek almost loses his grip on the keys. It takes a couple tries before the key is finally in the lock and they can stumble inside.

In the dark, they fumble their way to the bed. Stiles giggles when he nearly trips in his haste to kick off his shoes. Derek lets himself fall onto the bed, taking Stiles with him. He has to catch Stiles, who is struggling to get his shirt off, before he falls and smashes his face into the wall.

‘I’m stuck,’ Stiles says with an audible pout.

Derek laughs, throwing his head back. Stiles doesn’t let him have his fun for long. He wriggles in Derek’s lap, threatening to leave Derek hanging if he doesn’t help soon. Still chuckling, Derek flips on the bedside lamp, and frees Stiles from his shirt. After throwing it to the side, he turns back to Stiles. His laughter dies in his throat. He didn’t expect Stiles to be this close. They’re almost nose to nose. He could count Stiles’ lashes if he wanted. And part of him does want to. He runs his fingers through Stiles’ hair, carefully, in case there’s product in it. Now is not the time for hair tugging. But Stiles’ hair is soft and Derek’s fingers slide through it easily. The air starts to shift, the intense heat ebbing away, being replaced by something softer.

‘You’re not naked enough,’ Stiles growls, pulling away from Derek’s hand, breaking eye contact.

The air turns hot again. He probably just imagined it anyway.

‘Neither are you,’ Derek points out. He flips them, throwing Stiles onto the mattress. He steps away to quickly strip off his own clothes. He smirks when Stiles sits up, leaning on his elbows, looking Derek up and down with hunger in his eyes.

‘Am I gonna have to take these off for you?’ Derek asks, pointing at Stiles’ trousers.

Stiles looks confused for a moment, tearing his eyes away from Derek to look down his own body, then lets himself fall back onto the bed, his arms spread out. He raises his eyebrows expectantly. Derek’s hands shake only a little as he makes quick work of Stiles jeans and boxers, throwing them with the rest of their discarded clothes. He crawls back on top of Stiles. He stays hovering, his hands planted by Stiles’ head, waiting for Stiles’ next move. Stiles pulls him down into a kiss. It’s lazy, but full of purpose. There’s a clear goal, but for now, they’re taking their time getting there. They let their hands and lips roam and explore. Heat and energy fills up the small space of the trailer as they kiss. It fills it to the brim, until it’s almost oppressive, urging him on. Stiles is getting restless beneath him, his nails burn as they dig into Derek’s skin.

Derek dives for the condoms and lube he has stashed in a cupboard by the bed, and throws them onto the mattress next to Stiles. Stiles grabs the bottle of lube, checking the brand, then waves it in Derek’s face.

‘You wanna do it, or should I?’ Stiles asks.

Derek’s about to tell Stiles that he is not good to bottom tonight, but Stiles is moving onto his hands and knees, and… _Oh_.

‘You prepared,’ Derek croaks. Stiles planned ahead. He has been thinking about this. At least for the past couple hours. Maybe even longer. Heat swirls and tightens in Derek’s belly.

‘Boy scout,’ Stiles winks.

‘For two weeks,’ Derek snorts. Stiles had been kicked out when he tied one of the other boys to his chair for teasing his best friend, Scott.

Stiles blinks, surprise evident on his face. Derek wants to kick himself. Now is the worst time to let his inner fanboy out.

‘Once a boy scout…’ Stiles quips. He shakes the bottle of lube again in question.

Derek grabs the bottle. He doesn’t know how much he’ll get, so he’s going to take as much as he can.

It’s messy. So messy. And probably loud too. They keep hitting their elbows and hands against the side of the trailer. They almost fall to the floor several times and each time they burst out laughing. When Derek grumbles about the fact that Stiles should’ve been prepared enough to get a hotel, they need to stop for a minute so Stiles can catch his breath and wipe away the tears, he’s laughing so hard.

But it’s not quick. Derek makes it last as long as he can, and it feels like Stiles is doing the same. They switch positions often enough that they can’t get a real rhythm going until Stiles is straddling Derek, one hand on the wall for balance. He’s looking down at Derek, his hair sticking to his forehead, his chest and cheeks red. They should change again, because there’s no way Derek will last like this. But instead, Derek tightens his grip on Stiles’ hips, urging him on. Neither of them lasts long after that.

He cleans Stiles up as well as he can with his limbs feeling like rubber and his brain still orgasm-fuzzy. He half expects Stiles to leave. Instead, Stiles rolls around until he can crawl under the blankets, holding them up so Derek can follow him. The bed isn’t wide enough for them to lie next to each other, so Derek wraps an arm around Stiles’ waist and presses as close has he can, while still allowing some space for them to catch their breath.

Under Derek’s palm, Stiles’ heartbeat settles into a steady rhythm, his chest slowing down until his breath evens out. Derek rests his forehead against the back of Stiles’ neck. The edges of his mind are already blurring with sleep. He doesn’t know if he imagines it, but when he tightens his arm around Stiles, he thinks Stiles sighs contentment.

When Derek opens his eyes next, it’s to an empty bed. For a second he thinks he dreamt it all, but the smell of sex is still in the air and on the sheets, which are a mess. They’re probably going to have to throw those away. Part of him expected this, for Stiles to leave before he woke up, but he can’t help the sting of disappointment. Sitting up, he rubs a hand over his face and yawns, almost choking on it when he sees that Stiles left his boxers behind.

~

Derek watches the artful leaf disappear into his coffee as he stirs it slowly. The coffee shop is busy, but the buzzing of the other patrons and the clinking of their cups doesn’t drown out his thoughts. In the months since _that_ night, he’s been pretty successful in not thinking about it, or the possible consequences. He didn’t think Stiles would say anything to anyone. Stiles is known for saying whatever’s on his mind, but he wouldn’t intentionally hurt one of his own projects. There’s no need for him to be freaking out so much. He’s had one-night stands before. Maybe his inability to read Stiles is the problem. Every time he thinks he’s got the guy figured out, Stiles does something completely unexpected. It’s not necessarily a bad thing, but it can be a little awkward when it happens in front of a camera.

‘I appreciate the free coffee and muffin, but you said you wanted to talk,’ Braeden says, breaking into Derek’s musing.

Derek looks up. He’d almost forgotten she was there. Braeden takes a big bite of her muffin, raising her eyebrows expectantly. He looks back down at his coffee, then decides to change the scenery and pokes his pie with his fork, frowning, wondering where to start.

‘Is it Stilinski again?’ Braeden asks when she’s swallowed her bite.

‘Shh,’ Derek hisses. He glances around to see if anyone’s heard, but everyone is busy with their own things. At least, that’s what it looks like. Braeden rolls her eyes, but she leans forward.

‘Last time you asked me out for coffee and your face looked like that,’ she says, her tone hushed, ‘you were freaking out about him finding out about your little crush.’

Derek feels the tips of his ears heat up, feels it spreading to his cheeks as Braeden smirks. That had not been his finest hour. Even celebrities get celebrity crushes, and Stiles had been his. He hadn’t thought it would turn into a real crush. When it did, he’d called Braeden for help. She’d poked a little fun at him, but assured him it would blow over. Stiles has a pretty face, and might seem charming at first, but Derek wouldn’t know what he was really like until he saw him interact with all the people on the crew.

‘Your press tour starts next week and you’re freaking out. It’s not hard to guess. I thought you were over him?’

‘I am,’ Derek says. And he is. Stiles was always nice to the rest of the cast and crew, but Derek’s crush withered with the cool treatment he received. It died when he woke up alone the morning after the party. He’s not going to pine over someone who obviously doesn’t like him and wanted nothing more from him than to be a notch on their bedpost. Not again.

‘Then why are you being weird?’ Braeden asks, stabbing her spoon at him. ‘You’re just colleagues now. You do the interviews, pose for the cameras, and that’s it. It’s not like anything happened.’

Derek looks down, hiding his face before Braeden can read that something _did_ happen. Something fun, and hot, and good. It had been _so good_.

‘Oh my god,’ Braeden whispers. She leans back again, her eyes sparkling. ‘Holy shit!’

Derek shushes her again. ‘Shut up,’ he pleads.

‘You slept with him,’ she grins. ‘Was it good? It must’ve been good. I’ve seen that drunk dancing video of his. Boy’s got a couple moves.’

Derek groans and buries his face in his hands. He’s never going to live this down. This is going to be worse than when he confessed his crush.

‘Don’t think I forgot about that thing you have for his hands and mouth,’ Braeden sing-songs. ‘Oooh! Did you get to pin him down and shut him up with your mouth?’

‘I hate you,’ Derek groans. ‘I told you that by accident.’

‘And I am purposely embarrassing you with it,’ Braeden says. ‘I still don’t get the problem though.’

‘I just can’t get a read on him. He keeps surprising me. What am I going to do during those interviews?’

‘You’re an actor, so act,’ Braeden shrugs. ‘You’re a professional, and so is he. Those interviews, that’s work. You’ll be fine.’

‘You’re right. I’m freaking out over nothing,’ Derek agrees.

~

Braeden was wrong. Their first interview together is preceded by a photo shoot. As they get their makeup done, Stiles talks solely to the girl fixing his hair. He’s distant again, avoiding Derek as much as he can, not even making eye contact, but it feels different from before. There’s a nervousness to it. If Derek didn’t know better, he’d think Stiles was embarrassed.

The photoshoot goes great, but during the interview Stiles is so in his head that it could’ve been a disaster if Derek hadn’t filled in the gaps. He doesn’t think the interviewer notices, but he’s getting worried. Maybe he should ask Stiles if he’s okay when the interview is over and they have a moment alone. But Stiles is intercepted by his personal assistant, Mason, the moment they’re done, and Erica isn’t far behind.

‘You have tonight off, but please don’t start any new Netflix shows. You have five interviews tomorrow, and you won’t make it if you only get three hours of sleep,’ Erica reminds him.

Derek hums in agreement, but he barely registers what she’s saying; Stiles just slipped into a bathroom.

‘I’ll see you at the car,’ Derek tells Erica, and follows Stiles.

Stiles doesn’t look up when Derek comes in. He continues leaning his head against the wall and muttering curses under his breath. Derek clears his throat, jumping when Stiles jumps and trips as he whirls around to face Derek. Derek grabs his arm to steady him, but Stiles jerks out of his grip.

‘Stiles, are you okay?’ Derek asks. Even for Stiles, this is really weird.

‘Fine. A-okay. Five-by-five, big guy,’ Stiles grins, giving Derek a thumbs up.

Derek raises an eyebrow. Stiles isn’t fooling him. He’s a good actor, no doubt about it, but as it turns out he’s a terrible liar when caught off guard. Improv class must’ve been hell for him. Stiles’ grin falters. He chews on his lip, the gears in his head almost audibly turning. After what feels like forever, he finally makes up his mind and digs his phone out of his pocket.

He taps on it a couple times then hands it to Derek.

‘Okay. Uhm… The week before we started shooting I went to this coffee shop,’ Stiles says as he taps away on his phone. ‘You were there too, with a friend. I don’t think you saw me.’

Derek frowns, some dots are connecting, but the picture doesn’t make any sense.

‘Anyway, I heard you talking about me, and you were saying how I was always moving too much and talking too much. It pissed me off because I thought we were getting along great, and you never seemed annoyed when I met you. But you never said anything, so I got pissed at you because I thought you were talking behind my back and then faking liking me too my face.’ The words tumble out of Stiles’ mouth in a rush. ‘But then last week…’ Stiles hands Derek his phone.

Derek holds it gingerly. There’s a text conversation on the screen. ‘I don’t get it.’

‘Scroll down,’ Stiles says, wincing. ‘You were there again, and my buddy Scott was there too and heard you talking, and… Well…’ He waves at the phone.

Derek reads through the conversation.

>> **D is here and talking about you again**

>> **Looks like he** **’s not looking forward to the interviews**

>> **Awwww! D had a crush on you too**

>> **Bro**

>> **You broke his heart**

>> **The hell you do to him?**

>> **YOU SLEPT WITH HIM!!!!!!!!**

>> **!!!!!!!!!!!!**

>> **I CAN** **’T BELIEVE YOU DIDN** **’T TELL ME :(**

>> **I** **’m gonna need details later!!!**

>> **I think you misunderstood when he was talking about your hands and mouth**

>> **I think it** **’s his fetish**

>> **The only reason I** **’m forgiving you for not telling me about the sex is because you thought he broke your heart first**

More dots are connecting, but he has a hard time processing the picture that’s forming.

‘I think… We should talk about this somewhere else,’ he says after reading through the texts again,  handing Stiles his phone back. ‘We’re in the same hotel right?’

Stiles nods, timidly taking his phone back. His face is bright red.

‘I’m in room 224. Are you free tonight?’ Derek asks. He’s focusing on the logistics of him and Stiles having a real conversation as hard as he can, hoping it’ll put off any hopes for the conversation itself.

‘I have a dinner, but I can reschedule,’ Stiles says.

‘You don–‘

‘I do,’ Stiles says. ‘I’ll see you there in an hour, okay?’

‘Okay,’ Derek agrees.

They walk to their cars in awkward silence. Erica gauges his mood the moment he slides into the backseat next to her.

‘Do you need me?’ she asks.

Derek shakes his head. ‘Can you keep everything away from me tonight, except for emergencies?’

‘I can do that.’ Erica squeezes his leg, then tells the driver to get them back to their hotel.

They don’t talk. The car is soundproof, so not even the noises of LA traffic disturb Derek’s thoughts. He’s not thinking about what happened in the bathroom, or about what might happen later. He keeps seeing Stiles’ face. Not the way he was earlier, in the bathroom, but the way he’d looked _that_ night, sitting in Derek’s lap as Derek combed his fingers through Stiles’ hair.

Back in his room, he has fifteen minutes before Stiles arrives. He looks around the room, unsure of what to do with himself. Cleaning up isn’t necessary. There’s no time for a real shower. That would probably be a little much anyway. Right? A change of shirt and washing the makeup off wouldn’t hurt, though.

With only a couple minutes left, he paces the room. Once again, Stiles has taken him completely by surprise, and he’s flailing on how to handle it.

There is a knock on the door. Derek looks at the clock and can’t help but smile. Right on time. When Stiles steps into the room, he looks more nervous than Derek, wringing his hands, eyes darting all over the room, but avoiding Derek.

Derek closes the door. He gestures for Stiles to take a chair by the window, but either Stiles doesn’t notice or he’s too restless to sit.

‘I’m sorry,’ Stiles blurts out.

‘What for?’ Derek asks.

‘What– I was a total asshole to you! And you were nothing but nice to me!’

‘You thought–‘

‘For three months I was a complete dick,’ Stiles continues. ‘And then I slept with you. And left. Without a word!’

‘Stiles, can you sit down?’ Derek asks, as he sits down in one of the chairs. It takes everything he has to stay calm. Part of him wants to tell Stiles that everything’s fine, but another part of him wants to tell Stiles exactly how much of a dick he’d been and never let him forget it. Stiles sits down opposite him, right at the edge of the seat, his leg bouncing up and down, guilt written over every inch of his frame.

‘You know what I don’t get?’ Derek asks. His voice trembles. ‘I don’t get why you didn’t just ask me. From what I know of you, and from what I saw while we worked together, you’re not afraid to get in people’s faces. So why were you such an asshole, instead of just asking me?’

Stiles looks at the table between them. His shoulders slump.

‘I’m not good with talking about my feelings, especially when they’re hurt. And I’m vindictive.’ Stiles’ laugh is bitter and self-deprecating. He leans back in his chair and finally looks at Derek. ‘When I thought you hated me, I was pissed because I like you and I thought you liked me too.’

‘I did,’ Derek says.

Stiles nods. ‘I fucked up. I know I did. And I don’t know if I have any right to ask you this, but…’ Stiles takes a deep breath. ‘Can you give me a second chance?’

The warm glow in his chest doesn’t surprise Derek. Part of him had known, the part that worried and panicked and hoped: his crush didn’t die. Stiles giving him the cold shoulder only put it in hibernation. He knows who Stiles is. He knows what Stiles is like with the people he cares about, and with the people he dislikes, he just hadn’t known why he was treated so different from everybody else. Now he does.

‘On one condition,’ Derek says. He clenches his jaw to suppress his smile when Stiles perks up, hope and determination in his eyes. Derek could probably ask him to do anything right now, and he’d say yes. ‘We work on our communication. You didn’t talk to me, but I didn’t ask you why you were being such a dick either.’

Stiles laughs. It’s that same laugh from when they’d run to Derek’s trailer, bright and free. ‘That’s fair,’ he says. All tension leaves his body, and he leans back in the chair. ‘So now what?’

‘You’re free tonight, right?’

Stiles nods.

‘We can order room service and watch a movie? We’ll see where we go from there,’ Derek suggests.

‘Yes!’ Stiles pumps his fist in the air. ‘The burgers here are amazing.’

~

Derek doesn’t take his eyes off Stiles as his boyfriend steps into the tub. Stiles’ smile is soft and a little mischievous. They didn’t turn on the main light in the hotel bathroom, just the one by the mirror; the soft light makes Stiles’ skin glow and turns his eyes golden. Derek, intimately familiar with Stiles’ clumsiness, holds Stiles’ hands as Stiles sits down. But even with the help, Stiles almost slips, and water sloshes over the side as drops onto Derek’s thighs..

‘Don’t you dare,’ Stiles glares.

‘I’m not doing anything,’ Derek grins innocently.

Stiles snorts, then carefully shuffles forward until he can bump his nose against Derek’s. ‘Hey,’ he whispers.

Derek brushes the hair off of Stiles’ forehead. Cupping Stiles’ jaw, stroking Stiles’ cheek with his thumb, he presses their lips together. A thrill runs through him. He loves moments like this, when the world feels soft and quiet and perfect, when it’s just them. It’s not always easy to find these moments. Because of their movie, they’re both in the spotlight, and by extension, so is their relationship. So Derek enjoys every second he has with Stiles to the fullest.

‘Hey.’

Stiles bumps their noses again, then wriggles around, spilling more water onto the floor, until he’s sitting between Derek’s legs. He grabs Derek’s arms and wraps them tightly around his waist. Derek nuzzles into Stiles’ neck.

‘I didn’t think we’d get here,’ Derek says.

Stiles huffs out a laugh. It sounds so fond; Derek thinks his heart is going to burst out of his chest.

‘You stole my line,’ Stiles says.

‘That’s not how it goes.’ Derek can feel Stiles rolling his eyes.

‘But we are,’ Stiles obliges him with an exaggerated delivering of the line. But then he presses closer, and leans his head back onto Derek’s shoulder to press a kiss against Derek’s jaw. ‘We are.’

**Author's Note:**

> Come say hi on [tumblr](http://fandom-madnessess.tumblr.com/).


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